Horse-checking device



(No Model.)

G.E."HUTTON.' HORSE CHECKING DEVICE.

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"UNITE STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE E. IIUTTON, OF DELPHOS, KANSAS,

HORSE-CHECKING D EVlC E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 565,681, dated August 1 1, 1896,

Application filed January 24, 1895. Serial No. 536,104. (No model.)

check which is devoid of means for irritating or chafing the horse upon which it is used; .to provide means whereby the bit is caused to draw forcibly upon the roof of the mouth of the animal only when the latter attempts to resist or fight the bit; to provide a chinrest which is capable of yielding to allow freedom of movement of the jaws,whereby the bit, tongue, and lips may be arranged to avoid contact with the teeth, to provide means for causing pressure of the bit against the roof of the mouth when the horse attempts to bear upon the chin-rest; and, furthermore, to provide means for adjusting the nose-band at the desired point upon the bridge of the nose.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a check constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the chin-rest. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bit. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the sliding tremities of the chin-rest 5, and the body portion of the bit is upwardly bowed to conform to the shape of the roof of the mouth and is broadened at its center to avoid cut ting or bruising the mouth. The chin-rest is parts in all the figures of the provided, preferably at its center, with an elastic or yielding section 6, to adapt the rest to yield and thereby allow the horse to adjust the bit and his tongue and lips to avoid contact with his teeth, and thereby avoidthe with the draw-straps 8, which pass through the check-rings and after extending through the guides 9 on the crown-piece are attached to the billets which form parts of the checkstraps 11, and secured to the center of the nose-band is a central adjusting-strap 12, which also engages a buckle 13 at the center of the crown-piece. Slidably mounted upon the draw-straps is a loop 14, which may be arranged close to thebit or may be elevated to a position adjacent to the crown-piece, and through a clip 15 on this loop extends the central adjusting strap, said clip in the construction illustrated being formed as an integral part of the loop.

The levers to which the chin-rest or strap is attached are designed to equalize the bearing and relieve the pressure of the bit on the roof of the mouth, and with the elastic section which forms a portion of the chin-rest the parts are adapted to yield sufficiently to allow a sufficient amount of freedom of the jaws, and in case of stumbling a horse is enabled to recover without producing a shock, such as is unavoidable if the check and chinrest are unyielding. Then a trotter or pacer breaks, the head is thrown up, and if the check and chin-rest are unyielding the horse is unable to recover as readily as when the chin-strap is yielding, or when a slight free dom of movement of the jaws is permitted. The chin-rest is provided at its extremity with billets and buckles to provide for adjustment to regulate the pressure of the bit on the roof of the mouth and to prevent the tongue from lolling.

A horse usually side reins, lugs, or tosses the head, &c., to relieve or alleviate punishment or uneasiness, and therefore a check which imposes continuous pressure upon any part is liable to produce these and other habits which are annoying to the driver;

but by constructing the checkrein in a single piece with the nose-band it acts as a drawrein and brings the nose-band well down upon the bridge of the nose, and thereby compels the horse to carry his nose out and extend his neck to prevent choking and other evils, and the pressure or draw is greater or less, according to whether the animal attempts to bear upon the chin-rest. The extent or degree of draw may be regulated by the adjustment of the sliding loop, to increase ward the nose-band, and to diminish which it is moved in the opposite direction.

The construction and arrangement of the parts of this device prevent pressure upon the musclesof' the nostrils or upon the arteriesand nerves, and hence does not interfere withthe circulation of blood or cause irritation.

When. ahorse learns that the pressure of thebi-t d QPQHG SQTPOH the position of his head, and that when the head is held in a certain position the pressure is insignificant, it is obvious that hewill depend upon his own exerti ons rather than upon the checl'crein, and hence an easy and gracetul position of the head will be the result.

It will: be understood that in practise various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor-details otconstruction may beresortcd to without departing trom the spirit or sacrificing any: of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, 1 claim- 1i. A horse breaking and driving-bit having a bowed and centrally-broadened body portion provided with upturned extremities terminating in check-rings, and downwardly and forwardly curved arms of reduced thickness springing from theupturned extremities of the-body portion adjacent tothe checkringsa-nd terminating in eyes for engagement by the extremities of a chin-rest, said eyes being below the plane of the body portion of the bit, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a bit having terminal check-rings and forwardly-extending levers, and a chin-rest connected to-the front extremities ofsaid levers, of a noseband pro-- vided with integral extensions arranged to slide inthe check-rings and extended to-form draw-reins, a check-strap connected to said draw-reins, and means-for adjustin g the center; of the nose-band forwardly and rearwardly upon the nose of the horse, substantiall y as specified.

3 The combinationwith-a-bit having checkringsand achin-rest; connectedto the bit, of a nose-band provided with extensions arranged to slide in the check-rings and extended to form drawn-ems, a check-strap connected to said draw-reins, and an adjustingstrap attached to the center of the nose-band and extending longitudinally of the nose of the horse between the draw-reins and provided with means for varying its tension to arrange the center of the nose-band at the ;desired point on the nose of the horse, substantially as specified. which the loop is adjusted downward or to- 4. The combination with a bit provided a with terminal check-rings and forwardly-extending levers, and a chin-rest attached at its extremities to said levers, of a nose-band having integral extensions arranged to slide in said check-rin gs and extended to form drawreins, a check-strapconnected to-theextremities of the draw-reins, and a. loop-mounted to slide upon the-draw-rein-s and hold the same together at thcpoint of contact therewith and adapted to bearranged near the-nose-band or remote therefrom to vary theu-pward pressure of thebit and the downward pressure of the nose-band, substantiallyas specified.

5-. Thecoinbination witha bit having checkrings, of a nose-band having extensionsarranged to slide in said che'clz-rings and extended to form draw-reins, a cl'ieck strapconnected tothe extremities of the draw-reins, and: a loop mounted toslide upon the drawreins: at an intermediate point and hold opposite or corresponding parts of said drawreins contiguonstoeach other, said loop being adapted to be arranged near the nose-band or remote therefrom to vary the downward pressure of the nose-band, substantially as specified.

6-. The combination with a bit having terminal check-rings and forwardly-extending levers, and a chin-rest connected tosaidlevers, of a nose-bandh-avingextensions arranged toslide in said check-rings and extended to form draw reins which are attached to a checkstrap, a crownpiece having guides through which the draw-reins extend, a loop mounted to slide upon the draw-reins, and hold the same together at an intermediate point, and a central adj usting-strap attached at oneend tothe-center of'the-nose-bandi, extending through a clipon the loop and attached to the crown-piece by a buckle, sub stantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I- have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. HUTTON.

\Vitnesses:

WM. P. STILWELL, TURNER. R. CLENDINEN.

ITO 

